According to Sport, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid continue to compete for Álvarez, and Atlético Madrid is considering signing Cristian Romero to retain him.

The battle for Álvarez's signature continues. Barcelona still hopes to convince the striker, while Atlético Madrid is preparing its own moves to keep one of its star players.

As Sport reported earlier, Deco traveled to Madrid this week to meet with the player's agent, Fernando Hidalgo, aiming to find a solution to break the deadlock. Atlético Madrid's stance remains unchanged. Miguel Ángel Gil Marín openly reiterated that Julián "will not leave even for 200 million euros" and told Laporta that Atlético Madrid's position "has no upper limit."

Deco traveled to Madrid to meet Álvarez's agent / SPORT

However, internally, Atlético Madrid understands that beyond these statements, the real way to impress the World Cup winner is to increasingly strengthen the team project.

Mateu Alemany's Plan

Mateu Alemany is taking action in this direction. Atlético Madrid's sporting director is working to provide a more competitive squad for Simeone, and one of the club's main targets is Cristian "Cuti" Romero.

The Tottenham Hotspur center-back has been a clear request from the Argentine coach for months, and his potential arrival has another important reason: to impress Álvarez.

This is no ordinary signing. Julián has never hidden his admiration for Romero; the two have played together for Argentina and share an excellent relationship.

"I hope we can play together"

The striker himself made this hope clear in an interview with Marca in December 2025. When asked about reports that Atlético Madrid wanted to sign the center-back, he said:

"Yes, of course, I would definitely like that. Cuti is one of the best defenders in the world. I've spent a lot of time with him in the national team, and I think he's a top player, a tough competitor with very strong defensive presence. I've spoken with him a few times; there are just some details we've worked through, but I hope one day we can play together," he said.

These words now carry more weight than ever. Atlético Madrid believes that Romero's arrival will not only strengthen Simeone's defense but also give Julián an important reason to believe that the Rojiblancos project is developing around him.

Meanwhile, Barcelona has not given up. The club remains in contact with the player's camp and continues to explore ways to recruit him, with Flick considering this signing a priority. However, Barcelona also knows that time is on Atlético Madrid's side, and they are working to bring in the player that the "Spider-Man" most wants to play with.

The transfer window has entered a critical phase. While Atlético Madrid publicly insists that Álvarez is not for sale, they are also working to give him more reasons to stay. The Romero card could be the decisive move to secure this key star, and it could also be the final push before Barcelona mounts another assault.

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